Sarah Lambert                                                                                 about 170 words

sel15@geneseo.edu

Student, INTD 105-19: Scientific Writing

History Repeats Itself

By Sarah Lambert

    Terry Tempest William’s piece written in 1991 about her experiences and family history involving breast cancer and the radioactive test site in Nevada. She points out the significance of the nuclear testing and the Jenkins decision in 1984 in our history and the need to question society in her own, personal history.

    It is interesting that Williams alluded to the idea of “sovereign immunity…from England,” that though we have tried, over the years, to eliminate cultural ties with Europe and prove ourselves to be a better, more democratic country, this idea is still present. Williams piece is moving in how she evokes emotion in her audience through the work of pathos and inclusion of detail. It is unbelievable that such tragedies exist and that people struggle with these hardships. Something that this brought to mind was the devastation that colonization has had on our world and older societies. The effect people have on other groups of people can be extremely harmful, even if it is not intentional.